Lance Johnson wants to build a 37-home development in Barker Neighborhood. Many neighbors would like to see the land used for a city park. Some other neighbors believe Johnson’s proposal is the best option available.

And the Lawrence City Commission, which thought it had already resolved the debate, will have to judge it again Tuesday night — even though commissioners say they’ll probably stay the course.

“I don’t think we’ve gotten any information that our previous vote wouldn’t hold true,” Commissioner Sue Hack said.

Johnson is just the latest developer in recent years to propose building on the 11.7-acre site at 19th and Delaware streets. Previous proposals, for more than 70 mobile homes and 64 town homes, were turned down by the city and vigorously opposed by the surrounding Barker Neighborhood.

“Over the history of this project, the neighbors have insisted this (land) be used for single-family, detached stick-built housing,” said Emily Wellman, chair of the neighborhood association.

Johnson, who was unavailable for comment, was the first developer to make that attempt.

“It seems this proposal is a huge victory for Barker Neighborhood,” Mayor David Dunfield, a neighborhood resident, said last month when commissioners gave additional approval to the project. “What we’re looking at is adding 37 new families for a part of town that’s suffering from a drop in school-age children.”

But Johnson hasn’t made all the neighbors happy; many would like to see the site preserved as a city park.

But city officials have said they will not spend money to buy the land for a park.

“The solution to every zoning or land-use issue is not that the city gets to buy it,” City Manager Mike Wildgen said.

That hasn’t stopped hope. Although Barker Neighborhood leaders have supported Johnson’s project as the best possible option, the neighborhood has formally voted in favor of a park. And neighborhood resident Patricia Sinclair has collected more than 200 names on a petition asking the city to buy the land.

She said development would exacerbate flooding problems in the area, increase traffic by a dangerous amount and kill off wildlife that makes its home in the 11 acres.

“Some of the very features that make it bad land for housing make it perfect for a park,” Sinclair said, noting the land sits adjacent to a rail line the city hopes to develop. “These are very old woods. If you tried to create them now, it would take decades to build up.”

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Wellman, however, said she wasn’t worried about flooding. And she believes that any traffic issues will be resolved by the city.

“I like it,” she said. “It’s going to be a bunch of new families in our neighborhood, and they’ll be in nice houses.”

The commission meets at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.